


Cupcake

by kaclydid



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Slow Burn, Tooth Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-03
Updated: 2019-09-07
Packaged: 2019-10-21 12:04:03
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 4,754
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17642441
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kaclydid/pseuds/kaclydid
Summary: He hadn’t gone into this thinking he’d fall head over heels for you. You were friends. Best friends. No benefits. No sex. Sometimes cuddles. And lots of beer and pizza and movie nights.He wasn’t supposed to fall in love with you.But, boy howdy, he was head over heels, heart thumpingly, in love with you.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> literally no one asked for this, and this is my first ever fic for this fandom, but i had an idea, and ran away with it. hope you enjoy!

He hadn’t gone into this thinking he’d fall head over heels for you. You were friends. Best friends. No benefits. No sex. Sometimes cuddles. And lots of beer and pizza and movie nights.

He wasn’t supposed to fall in love with you. 

But, boy howdy, he was head over heels, heart thumpingly, in love with you. 

Jesse McCree was a simple man. He liked those movie nights, the cheap pizza and even cheaper beer. The two of you falling asleep to a not so great movie, waking up on the couch under a large blanket. He liked that you were open with him. You shared secrets, and he confided in you. You literally had his back in fights, and he would willingly take a bullet for you. 

Like now. He had crashed on your couch off base after one too many beers and shots after last night’s debriefing. Now, a bit hungover, he was hankering for something to eat.  

He knew you cooked. You were pretty good at it too. He loved that about you too. 

You were standing in your kitchen, setting a batch of unfrosted cupcakes on the counter. Hearing him enter you smirked, pointing towards the coffee maker and clean mug you had left out. “Coffee. Breakfast is in the oven.”

Jesse smirked, running his hand up and over his jaw, scratching at his beard. On a yawn, he smelled the cinnamon buns baking. “Cupcakes? You shouldn’t have, darlin’,” he smirked, pouring a cup of coffee.

“They’re not for you,” you tsked, swatting at his hand as he reached for one. “They’re for my sister. She’s picking them up later.”

Leaning against one of the bar stools, raising the mug to his lips, Jesse watched as you expertly frosted the small cakes, setting them on a serving tray. As you turned at the ringing of the oven timer, he reached over and scooped his finger through the jar of frosting, popping the digit into his mouth as you turned back around. 

Jesse watched you silently for the next half hour, slowly consuming two of the Grands cinnamon rolls before placing his plate in the sink. “I best be headin’ out,” he started, tearing his gaze away from you as you headed for the bedroom to change and get yourself ready for work. 

“Darlin’?” he asked, the sound of his voice shocking you after a few moments as you had thought he had left.

He was so in love with you, it hurt now. As you stepped into the hall, brow raised in silent question, you smiled. “Something on my face?” you asked with a chuckle as you noticed him staring at you, hand raising to wipe absently at your clean cheek. 

Jesse shook his head, waving his hand dismissively, thinking of something quick, before he blurted out his newest secret. 

Your shirt. The green and blue plaid pajama pants you wore hung too loose on your frame, and it took a moment to realize that they were probably his own pajamas you had stolen.

“You look pretty ho --” he cleared his throat. “You look good in plaid.” 

“Yeah, pretty comfy too,” you smirked, stepping back into your room. “Now go before Reyes calls asking for you!” 

“Yes, ma’am,” Jesse smirked.

Jesse McCree was a simple man. Best friends be damned. He was totally in love with you.


	2. Chapter 2

He wasn’t in love with you. Nope. No way. **  
**

The words had become a sort of mantra over the past week.

He didn’t believe them. He couldn’t take the mantra seriously, because it was true. He was in love with you.

And people were starting to notice. Genji had called him out for staring the other morning in briefing. Reyes had caught it, but rolled his eyes. You carried on with what you were doing, speaking and keeping your eyes on your notes for that morning’s meeting.

Jesse had it bad.

Not only had he spent most of the past week trying to convince himself he wasn’t utterly in love with his best friend, he had started dreaming, daydreaming, and thinking of you at the worst possible times. Well, they couldn’t be bad times, he was thinking of you, he told himself. They were only bad times because he had practically misfired his Peacekeeper at hearing your laugh from the other side of the range, had almost spilled a scalding pot of coffee down his front when he heard you and Lena enter the common room, and had come so close to running face first into a glass office door that Reyes had to physically turn him about and push him out into the hall.

***

Reyes had practically been knocked to the floor as Jesse stopped in front of him, seemingly lost in thought. “Mierda, McCree!” he hollered, slapping the cowboy against the shoulder with the folder file he had been carrying. “Take a damn chance and just talk to her!”

Jesse nodded, gaze flicking back to watching you across the training yard as Reyes stalked off, mumbling something about ‘those two will be the death of me’.

“Will do boss,” he mumbled, turning the other way and leaving the yard, running a nervous hand through his hair.

You, on the other hand, thought something had happened. For although Jesse couldn’t keep his mind from you, he had done a pretty damn good job at avoiding you. Every time you entered a room, he would get this weird look on his face and then leave. You swore you had seen him in the training yard yesterday, only to find he hadn’t come over and joined your sparring match like usual.

After a week of cold shoulders and strange whispers and gossip you didn’t fully understand nor take time to listen to – you just knew they were talking about Jesse – you stalked down the hall to his quarters.

After a brief wait in the hall, the door slid open, and Jesse stood wide eyed on the other side of the door. “Y/N …!”

“Are you alright?” you asked, craning your neck to look into his room.

“‘m fine,” he nodded, trying to play it cool but failing miserably as he leaned against the doorjamb. “Something wrong, darlin’?”

Damn it, McCree, he mentally yelled, the nickname isn’t helping your case, cowboy!

“Are you alright?” you repeated, watching as Jesse physically shook his head. “Really, you’re starting to scare me, Jesse.”

Jesse stood aside, holding the door open for you. “There’s … uh, something I wanted t’ … talk to ya ‘bout,” he mumbled, moving through his room.

“Reyes said you’d been acting strange,” you smirked. “You know you can talk to me, right? That’s the entire basis of our friendship.”

“I know,” Jesse sighed, running his hands over his face and through his hair as he sat down on the edge of his bed. “This is just … different. Personal … “

“Oh?” you smirked, leaning forward as you sat on the small sofa against the wall.

“It’s a … girl,” he answered after a moment. “A girl I … I think I’m in love with.”

“So, what’s she like? She work here?” you prodded. “Someone I know?”

Jesse looked up to you, dark chocolate brown eyes wide as you prodded into his love life, completely oblivious to the truth. “She’s … she’s amazin’. Kind, beautiful … “ he started, choosing words carefully.

“You’ve got it bad, cowboy,” you smiled, noticing the blush creep onto his cheeks. “So, what’s the matter? Does she like you back?”

Shrugging, he sighed. “Don’t know,” he smirked. “Haven’t had the guts to talk to her.”

You smiled, standing and striding to the mini fridge across the room. Pulling two bottles of beer from the door, you plopped down on the bed beside him, holding out a bottle. “I’m sure you’ll do fine … Ask her out! You’ve got friday night free … we’ll reschedule movie night,” you nodded, bumping your shoulder against his.

Smiling, he nodded, taking the bottle of beer and raising it slightly in a half toast, half thankful motion.

“Thanks,” he added.

“Any girl would be lucky to have you, McCree,” you added, smiling around your beer as you raised it to your lips.

He chuckled, meeting your gaze as he took a swig from his beer. “Yeah, but there’s only one …” he mumbled.


	3. Chapter 3

“So, wait … Let me get this straight,” Reyes started, leaning back in his desk chair and tossing the stress ball Jesse had given him as a Christmas gift into the air. “You scheduled a date with a girl who doesn’t exist because you can’t talk to Y/N? And you’re now sitting in my office … because … ?”

Jesse snorted a laugh through his nose as he sat on the small sofa on the far wall of Gabe’s office. “I thought you could help,” he admitted. 

“Help?” Reyes asked, sitting forward in his chair and looking over to Jesse. 

“I trust ya, boss,” Jesse interjected. “If you were me, what would you do?”

“Tell her,” Reyes answered without a moment’s thought. “Tell her the truth. Because …this ...” he motioned to the office, “Is ridiculous.”

Jesse laughed, looking down to his hands as he leaned his elbows against his knees. “I … can’t. I mean, I don’t know how.”

“Bullshit,” Gabe interjected, face as stoic as ever. Jesse could barely see the gleam of humor in his mentor’s eyes. “You do. Now, get out of my office before I put you to work,” he added, holding out a datapad in Jesse’s direction as he turned back to his computer.

Jesse stood, ignoring the datapad and walked for the door. “Yeah, yeah. I got it.”

***  
“Is there any specific reason you’re getting drunk on a Tuesday evening?”

You laughed, looking over your shoulder as Jesse stepped up to the bar. “I … was supposed to have a date,” you shrugged, voice faltering slightly as you looked down to the bar. 

“Oh,” Jesse nodded, stepping away from the bar stool he had reached for. “I’ll leave ya to it then. Have fun --”

“He didn’t show,” you interjected, looking over to Jesse. “I mean, it was a long shot anyway. He’s a new recruit on one of the strike teams … kind of stand offish. But he seemed genuinely nice!”

Jesse slowly sat on the stool beside you, brown eyes showing his concern. “He sounds like a jerk to me,” he mumbled. “Leavin’ a pretty girl hangin’.”

You chuckled, looking over to Jesse. “I’m glad you’re here. I needed a friend.”

Jesse smiles a genuine smile as he watches your sad eyes turn back to your drink. He motions for the bartender to bring you another round as he relaxes against his elbow and watches you. 

You’re contemplating. He can see the wheels in your mind going haywire. 

He doesn’t understand how someone can ask you out and then not show up. You’re beautiful, kind, and probably the sweetest person he has ever met since joining Overwatch. 

It takes him a moment to realize you were talking.

“ … and then Lena texts saying he’s just working out at the training room tonight, completely oblivious!” you shrugged, hands falling open on top of the bar as if motioning to the world. “... said ‘yeah, she’s cute, but i didn’t really want to go out’ … what kind of asshole says something like that?”

It’s at that moment, Jesse knows he wants to punch this guy in the face. With his Peacekeeper. 

***  
Knocking on your door the next morning, Jesse is surprised to see you awake and dressed as you answer the door. You smile around the spoon stuck in your mouth and wave with the container in your right before turning and walking into the kitchen.

“You’re eating frosting from the can,” Jesse mumbles, closing the door behind him as he follows. “It’s 8 in the mornin’ …”

“Well after last night … I found it in the fridge and …” you shrugged, sucking the remnants of frosting from the utensil. “Thank you, by the way,” you added, motioning with the spoon before digging in again. “Scott’s a jerk … and … I’m glad you showed up.”

I love you. 

Jesse stepped up and smirked, reaching for the frosting container and pulling it from your grasp. “I’ve got a sweet tooth as big as a house, darlin’, but this is not the best breakfast.”

You groaned but relinquished the container and tossed the spoon into the fridge. “I … wasn’t planning on cooking,” you mumbled. “I wasn’t even expecting you …”

Jesse smirked. “Wanted to check in … we’ll get breakfast on the way to campus.”

The two of you grabbed coffee and breakfast sandwiches from a cafe, both eating the food before even reaching the campus. Strolling into the Blackwatch wing sipping coffees, you groaned as you were met with Reyes, Morrison, and none other than Scott-the-no-show.

“Conference room,” Reyes started, eyeing both you and Jesse. “Now.”

Scott didn’t even glance at you as you walked side by side into the large conference room. He didn’t bat an eye as you strategically placed Jesse between him and yourself. You wanted to through your coffee in his face. Jesse wanted to do the same. Only accompanied by his fist as well. 

An hour and a half later, you, Jesse, and Scott had been given an assignment, together. You waved them off and strode away, tossing your empty coffee cup into a trash bin with a little more force than intended. 

Jesse glanced over his shoulder as he walked beside Agent Pierce Scott. Scott was rambling on about a girl he had a date with but didn’t work out, and it took everything in Jesse’s power to not throw a fist. 

“She’s hot! You ever work with her before?”

Jesse glared over to Scott as he spoke, watching as Scott turned to watch you walk down the hall away from them. “‘Scuse me?”

“Y/N! She’s hot! Right?”

Jesse nodded, brows pinching together. Hot didn’t describe you in his eyes. You were beautiful, radiant, a powerhouse who would punch Scott in his stupid mouth after hearing those words. 

***

You crossed your arms over your chest as you watched Jesse walked out of Reyes’ office, bright purple bruise around his eye. When he saw you, he smirked. “Scott’s a jerk.”

“You didn’t.”

“Morrison’s reassignin’ him … Conflict of personalities.”

You shook your head and nudged Jesse with your elbow. “Yeah, he’s a jerk.”

But he was right. You’re hot.


	4. Chapter 4

You weren't supposed to fall for your best friend. You had always heard, however, that the best husband or partner should also be your best friend. 

You inwardly groaned at your train of thought as you sat in the common room, leg bouncing with your nerves and datapad all but forgotten in your lap. Jesse was your  **best friend** . He was that guy you could talk to about anything, anytime. He had saved you on multiple occasions by running to the store to fetch that box of Tampax you needed. He had bought you dinner, beer, danced with you at the bar, complimented everything you ever cooked for him, called you  _ darlin’, pumpkin,  _ and  _ sweetheart _ , and  **_met your mother_ ** …

And he was in love with someone else! 

Clutching the datapad in your hands so hard your knuckles turned white, you were secretly jealous of this girl. He hadn't told you her name, where she worked, or how they met, but you knew he was smitten. He never talked about her. You wondered if he was moving away from the friendship you and him had had since he joined Blackwatch. You wondered if you were losing your best friend to a girl. 

Figures, you huffed to yourself. All you needed was some high school drama that didn't need to be drama. 

Tonight, Jesse had a date. It's why you were currently sitting in the Blackwatch common room instead of at home. Your weekly Friday night beer, pizza, and movie routine had been interrupted. You didn’t know what to do. So, you picked up some extra reports hoping to fill the night. If it got too late, you'd stay in the barracks. 

***

A little past midnight, the light in the common room outside of the office where you were working flicked on, and although you were half asleep and buried under a pile of digital reports, you could still make out the unmistakable sound of Jesse's boots. 

An almost giddy feeling bubbled into your chest as you heard him step closer to the office. Then, you caught yourself and calmed down. He would talk when he was ready. 

Which was apparently not tonight, as you listened and watched his back lit form walk through the common room and towards his quarters, flicking the switch off as he went. 

Sighing, you stood, cleaned up the desk, picked up your datapad, and headed to bed.

By morning you had moved from jealousy to anger. Without a clear thought as to why. 

Jesse was a grown ass man. He could like anyone he fancied. He could go out on dates and have fun. You weren’t a couple.

“Then why the hell does it hurt so much?” you grumbled to yourself, slamming your fist into the punching bag as emphasis. 

“Woah, there, darlin’,” Jesse drawled from behind you. “What’d that bag do to ya?”

You glanced at him over your shoulder, throwing another solid punch into the bag before relaxing and turning to him. “Just … it’s been a while. LEtting off some steam, ya know?”

Jesse nodded, smiling. “Well, no better way than a tussle, don’t ya think?”

“I’m not sparring with you, Jesse,” you smirked. “There’s no need.”

“The anger behind those punches said somethin’ else, darlin’,” he pointed out with his signature smirk. “Plus we got time to kill before briefing.”

You nodded, remembering the mission the two of you would be heading out on tomorrow. “Right. Yeah. Let’s do this,” you mumbled, stepping away from the punching bag. 

Jesse removed his hat, dropping it onto the bench behind you before following you to the center of the mat. “Now, darlin’, I don’t want ya to go easy on me just ‘cause ya like me.”

You laughed. “Jesse, we’ve known each other for years. The fact that I like you plays no role in kicking your ass.”

Kick after kick, punch after punch was thrown at Jesse for what seemed like hours. Jesse retaliated, throwing blocks and jabs in response to your moves. Expertly diving away into a somersault and jabbing you in the back before you were able to spin and throw a right hook at him. 

Dodging, he stepped away, dropping a shoulder as he relaxed his stance only to practically yelp when you came at him full force, fists blurring and foot meeting the soft part of his side in a roundhouse that sent him falling to the mat. 

“Alright, alright,” Jesse coughed, trying to catch his breath as he laid out on the floor. “What’s got you so riled up, darlin’?” he asked, and you noted the genuine concern in his voice.

Unwrapping the tape from your fists, you turned from him, walking back towards the bench. “Nothing. Just, a guy thing.”

“A guy thing, hmm?” Jesse smirked, sitting up and resting his arm over his knee. A brief memory of the other night’s discussion in his quarters flashed through his mind, but he bit his tongue and looked up to you with his big brown puppy dog eyes. 

“Yeah, a guy thing,” you scoffed. “I’m allowed to have guy troubles, aren’t I?”

Jesse chuckled. “Seeing as the last guy ended up with a black eye …”

“Which was your fault, by the way,” you smiled, turning back to face him as you sat on the bench.

“There it is!” Jesse pointed, climbing to his feet. “There’s that smile!” 

Ducking your head, you wadded the tape into a ball in your hands. “I don’t know, Jesse. I’m probably just overthinking it,” you shrugged. 

“Well,” Jesse drawled, hand cupping his jaw. “Maybe I should let ya stick to the punching bag from now on.”

You winced, watching as he stretched his jaw out, his hand rubbing over the growth of beard on his chin and over the back of his neck. “Sorry. You should … probably have Angela look at that,” you started, standing and reaching for his chin to look for any bruising starting. 

“I’ll meet ya at Reyes’ office,” Jesse nodded, stepping back from you and picking up his hat without so much as a response to the touch. 

Squishing your lips to the side in thought, you watched him walk out of the room, running a hand through his hair and down his neck before shaking himself as he exited. 

_ “There it is! There’s that smile!”  _ Biting your lip you felt a blush form on your cheeks and you immediately shoved the punching bag away in irritation. You wouldn’t crush over a guy who liked someone else. There was too much that could go wrong. 

But, damn, you were starting to fall in love with your best friend. 


	5. Chapter 5

You sat with your hands in your lap, twiddling your thumbs as Reyes walked into the conference room with a datapad in hand. Jesse sat beside you, casually lounging in the swivel chair. You could hear the spurs on his boots tinkling as he moved his foot back and forth on the carpet.

Why the hell were you nervous? It was a mission. A mission with your best friend. Something you had done so many times before that you couldn’t even count them.

And it was simple enough of a mission you came to find out. Litrally nothing to be nervous about.

Infiltrate a downed communications base and return with the drive that would go on to help with some other mission far beyond your pay level.

Easy peasy. Should be in and out.

“No goofing off,” Reyes added, pointing a finger at Jesse.

Laughing, Jesse kicked into a twirl in the swivel chair once more. “Wouldn’t dream of it, boss.”

Straightening, you watched as Commander Reyes stared Jesse down before sliding the datapad to you. “Drop ship leaves at 0600.”

As Reyes started to leave, you looked down to the datapad, reviewing everything he had told the two of you. Jesse started to leave, but stopped when he realized you weren’t following. “Something wrong, darlin? Seemed straightforward enough.”

Shaking yourself, you looked up to Jesse. “I’m fine,” you shrugged. “Just lost in thought.”

“Hmm,” Jesse nodded, stepping back up to the table. “Let’s go grab a drink. My treat. Since I ditched ya last Friday.”

“You don’t have to buy me a beer to make up for missing a movie night, Jesse,” you started, standing from the chair to face him.

“But I want to.”

You looked up to him. His brown eyes showed how genuine he was being. And you had no reason to doubt Jesse.

Except maybe one. The one that was screaming at you. The one saying “he’s got a girlfriend, you idiot!”.

If he had a girlfriend, this was just drinks between friends. No pressure, you thought. You liked drinking. You like drinking with Jesse.

“Sure thing. Just as long as we don’t get plastered. We’ve got a dropship to catch in the morning.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it, darlin’.”

***

It was supposed to be easy.

Get in. Get the intel. Get out without anybody noticing you.

That’s what Blackwatch was about. Covert operations.

So how in the hell had you been made?

“You alright over there, darlin’?” Jesse’s voice brought you back to the present as you huddled in the corner of the stairwell, datapad and holo-maps forgotten in your hands.

“I’m fine,” you nodded, pulling yourself straighter and checking your sidearm. “We need to get out of here. They’ll be on us in minutes.”

Jesse nodded, gaze focused on the upper landing of the stairwell before trailing to the floor at his feet. “How many did ya say?”

“Five.”

Jesse nodded. “That all of them?”

“Thermo scans reveal no other presences in the building,” you intoned, relaying the information from your datapad. “Reyes is going to kill us.”

“Nah, he won’t,” Jesse smirked, tucking the stolen security key into his pocket with the USB drive.

“If we die, he will figure out a way to bring us back to kill us.”

“Reyes ain’t gonna be mad, sweetheart,” Jesse smirked.

“And how can you be so damned sure?”

As you finished your question, the footsteps above you had grown louder. The five Talon operatives chasing you had entered the stairwell. Releasing the safety on your firearm, you glared at Jesse, mouthing “Plan?”

Jesse only smirked, sliding along the wall to offer himself a view up the middle of the stairwell. Slowly, gaze not trailing from the darkened landings above, he reloaded his Peacekeeper.

You rolled your eyes as you heard the barrel roll as he finished. Slowly, he straightened his shoulders. “If you say it …” you muttered, but by the time you had finished the thought, Jesse had released five shots in quick succession with a triumphant smirk.

Looking back to your datapad, you smirked. “It’s high noon,” you muttered.

“Let’s get out of here,” Jesse smirked, pushing you towards the door.

***

The safe house was small. A one bedroom apartment over a laundromat in a not so reputable part of town. Furnished with thrift store finds and basic necessities, it would do.

Letting yourselves in, Jesse went straight for the kitchen, setting the pizza box and six-pack on the counter and finding a stack of paper plates in the cabinet. You dropped your gear in the living room, slumping down on the sofa.

Jesse found a movie on TV while you showered, and before long, the two of you were two beers in with no more pizza watching a crappy movie on a crappy couch.

Yet it felt … weird.

This was what you had always done on those Friday nights. Pizza, beer, and movie at your apartment. Laughing about bad acting, debating about the plot, or talking about nonsense. Yet, here you sat, silent.

Jesse glanced over to you as you sat on the other end of the couch, can of beer in your hand. You stared at the aluminum can intently, almost frozen. “Y’all alright?”

“Yeah. Just … tired.” You cringed at your own words, shaking your head. “No, I’m not fine.”

“What’s buggin’ ya?”

You stared up at him. He relaxed further against the sofa, legs sprawled out in front of him. “You … to be honest. Last night was the first time I’ve actually talked to you in weeks.”

“That’s not true,” he laughed. “We talk all the time.”

“Uh huh,” you nodded, turning to face him as you curled your legs under you. “This girl you asked out the other night. How’d the date go?”

Jesse visibly blushed. His cheeks went pink and he coughed into his hand before taking a sip from his beer. “Why, you wanna run a background check on her? Genji already offered.”

“No, I want to know how my best friend’s date went.”

Jesse stared at you. He had hoped you’d forget about his ‘date’. He had hoped he’d figure out how to talk to you about his feelings before now. He hoped you had feelings that matched his.

“It, uh, didn’t work out.”

“What?!”

“She didn’t like …” He motioned to himself. “Said cowboys are overrated.”

“Are you just making that up so you don’t have to tell me?”

“What? No!”

“Jesse.”

He sighed, sitting forward and placing his beer on the coffee table. “There wasn’t a date. I … lied to ya.”

“Well, thanks.” You scoffed playfully, sitting back and sipping your beer. Noticing the change in Jesse’s demeanor, his elbows on his knees, hands folded together, you relaxed. “Jesse, are you okay?”

“There really is a girl,” he said quickly. Almost too quickly. He turned back to you. “A girl I really like. But I didn’t go out with her. Technically. In the date sense. We’ve hung out.” Sighing, he stood, waving off his thought as he carried the empty pizza box into the kitchen.

You watched him, his emotions battling it out in his expression. He seemed to be avoiding looking directly at you.

“I thought telling you I had a date would make it easier … maybe give me some time to think it through.”

“Jesse, I think you’ve lost me.”

Jesse was a simple man. He liked pizza, beer, crappy movies. He loved you.

“Doesn’t matter,” he said, shaking his head. “I’m gonna … take a shower.”


End file.
